Wild Side
by Jeffery Wiles
Summary: Pete and Myka get a ping that sends them to Wisconsin, that seems to be harboring an artifact that is making things "Hairy", Claudia and Steve look for an artifact that's taking the heat from people in Canada.
1. World of Endless Wind

**This is my first fanfic, so ya' know, be pleasant**

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Chapter 1: World of Endless Winds

The tall overwhelming shelves of the warehouse creaked and swayed gently back and forth as a sudden gust of wind coming from one of the aisles ahead rolled by. The wind became more and more erratic with every gust as it rolled off the stacks, the wind was also warm and it somehow felt as if you were standing on a beach, taking a big whiff of the salty ocean air with just a hint of fudge. As the gusts got more longer and bigger, a yell for help echoed throughout the warehouse, catching the attention of Arthur Nielson Aka "Artie", Warehouse 13s finest senior agent and its most current supervisor. Artie peaked his head up from his ancient computer and walked to the catwalk leading out into the main storage containment.

"What in the world?" Said Artie curiously puzzled.

Artie walked to the door heading to his office and hit a button on the side which activated the warehouse para scope. While pulling down the para scope, Artie took a quick look inside of it before quickly pushing it back up and taking a quick look around his surroundings.

"Pete! Claudia!" Artie yelled, hoping for a answer.

"I sent those two an hour ago to start re-shelving Ventis-87C, They're not back yet" Artie mumbled under his breath.

Artie started looking at the main storage area and started to see the gently swaying stacks, now becoming vigorous and violent. Artie then ran back to his office and grabbed a black bag under his desk and thew a couple of things inside , then started to sprint back to catwalk and was making his way down into the stacks muttering under his breath "What did you guys do this time"

Artie made his way through the ever enormous warehouse and through the aisles, as he got closer and closer the screams of terror were getting louder and louder with every stride he made. The stacks looked extremely dangerous now that he was getting more closer to the massive gusts of wind that were coming in and swaying the stacks back and forth with such force. After dodging falling artifacts that were coming from everywhere, Artie finally made it to the epicenter of the disturbance. The winds were so powerful that Artie had a tough time just standing there and had to take shelter behind one of the aisles. As the gusts blew by, Artie could see Pete and Claudia holding on to dear life on one of the stacks.

"PETE, CLAUDIA OVER HERE!" Artie yelled over the roar of the winds The two agents looked over at Artie holding on to the shelves and instantly gave him a smile of relief.

"ARTIE, ARE WE GLAD TO SEE YOU" Screamed the older gentleman "Agent Pete Lattimer" while holding on to both the shelf and the other warehouse agent and technology guru "Claudia Donovon".

Artie waved them down with both relief and boiling anger.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Screamed Artie

Pete and Claudia's faces drained all their relief and started to try and explain what had happened all at the same time, while being twirled by the gusting winds. Artie, already looking mad, decided that it was better to just solve the problem now and then worry about who did it later.

"OK, I DON'T CARE WHO DID WHAT, JUST TELL ME WHATS HAPPENING" Screamed Artie interrupting them both from their wind muffled babble.

"ITS ONE OF THE ARTIFACTS THAT FELL OUT OF THE STACKS" Yelled Claudia

"YEAH ARTIE, THAT THING REALLY BLOWS MAN" Said Pete

Artie looked over towards the intersection of the aisles and saw a sword sticking out from the ground with a blueish green glow surrounding it, Artie instantly knew what it was.

"THAT'S ONE OF HENRY MORGANS SWORDS" Yelled Artie

"HE USED THE SWORD ON HIS MANY SHIPS THAT HE-"Yelled Artie before being interrupted

"WE COULD DO WITHOUT THE HISTORY LESSON ARTIE, JUST DO SOMETHING, WE'RE SLIPPING!" Yelled Claudia.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, YOU GUYS JUST STAY THERE" Yelled Artie to Pete and Claudia.

"GOTCHA" Yelled Both Pete and Claudia

"I am definitely getting too old for this" Muttered Artie

Artie sat his bag down and started to rummage through it for something to counteract the swords gusts of wind. After looking for a minute or two, he could find nothing that could help him. Artie started to look around the swaying shelves for at least something, some artifact augmented help. Artie then put on some purple gloves and started to rummage through the shelves since the aisle had only artifacts that pertained to pirates, he didn't have much to work with. As he rummaged a couple of gold coins started to fall and hit the ground with sparks coming from them, but Artie was to much in a hurry to stop the wind making artifact from destroying the warehouse stacks. When he couldn't find anything in the aisle, something brushed up against his feet.

"And the solution presents itself!" Artie said excitedly.

Artie pulled the object off his feet, a type of garment that he quickly started to unravel and made his way towards the artifact after wrapping himself inside the garment. Pete and Claudia's attention were caught by Artie wearing this strange garment.

"NICE DUDS ARTIE, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING" Yelled Pete puzzled

"IT'S A CLOAK THAT USED TO BELONG TO AESOP, THE GREEK STORYTELLER" Yelled Artie making his way towards the artifact.

"ITS THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN RIGHT? THAT STORY? I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FABLE" Yelled Pete.

"HA HA HA, NO NO THIS ARTIFACT INSPIRED AESOP AND HIS FABLE, YOU SHOULD SEE THE ONE ABOUT THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE" Yelled Artie following with laughter.

Artie made his way towards the sword, step by step, with the gust of wind getting stronger Artie started to lose balance, but quickly got back up on his feet. The artifact was almost to much to bare for Artie, but the cloak helped him a lot, because as the wind got stronger, he got stronger.

"ALMOST THERE" Yelled Artie closing in on the sword with great stride.

Artie extended his arm and started to pull on the sword, inching the artifact out of the concrete ground. And with one great big heave, the sword slid perfectly out of the ground and was finally in Artie's hands. But the artifact was not neutralized, it started to produce even more wind, blowing hard into the stacks and knocking down Stanton-98F. Artie then threw the cloak off and opened one of the neutralizer "Gooing" station nearby.

"LOOK AWAY" Yelled Artie to Pete and Claudia.

Artie, Pete and Claudia all looked away as Artie plunged the sword into the goo, it sparked very brightly and made a loud electric crackle, kind of the sound you hear when a Tesla coil discharges. They all looked away until the bright purple light receded and the sword was submerged in the goo. The stacks finally stopped swaying and the violent wind finally died down, enough where Pete and Claudia could actually stand up without being swept away again.

"Well, that wasnt too hard was it" Said Artie to himself closing the lid to the goo station.

Claudia ran over to Artie giving him a big hug and thanking him for saving them

"This doesn't mean your off the hook yet, Claudia" Said Artie

"THAT GOES SAME FOR YOU PETE" Said Artie to a sneaking off Pete

"We got several artifacts off the shelves, Jean Fleury's Aztec Gold Coins are all over the floor, Aesop's Cloak needs to be re-shelved and someone has been playing in the Original Ball Pit" Said Artie glaring at Pete

"What Artie, I've had so many good childhood memories in those things" Said Pete

"Well Pete, I guess that makes it ok, oh and by the way if you get lost in there, you get lost FOREVER, kinda making it bad" Said Artie angrily to Pete, Which left him with widened eyes

"Doesn't anybody around here listen to me?" Said Artie

"I kinda zone in and out, from time to time" Said Claudia smiling sarcastically

Artie gave her a mean look and then finally sighed with relief that, at least they're safe.

"Just, get this cleaned up" Said Artie starting to trail back up to his office

Pete and Claudia watched Artie leave as they put on some purple gloves and started to put back the artifacts knocked down from the gusts of wind that were coming from the sword.

"Do you think he remembered about us supposed to be re-shelving Ventis?" Said Claudia

"Nah, he probably forgot about on his way back up to the office" Said Pete with assurance

As soon as Pete said that, a metallic buzzing noise came from Claudia's left pocket. She reached inside her pocket and pulled out a small black metal box and opened it. The little red light on the right side started to flash with the buzzing noise, Claudia pressed the black button below and on the screen popped up Arties face with a grin.

"Oh and dont forget to re-shelve Ventis-87C" Said Artie over the device Ending the transmission, Claudia said "Alright" and closed the device, then put it back in her pocket.

"As you were saying, Pete" Said Claudia

"Ummm, oh hey did i ever tell you how i always love ball pits, well its mostly Ralph Brunskys fault but-" Said Pete before being interrupted

"Yeah, Pete lets just get these artifacts shelved instead" Said Claudia

"You sure Claud? It's a good one" Said Pete offering the story

"Positive" Said Claudia

The world is so filled with mystery, stuff that we humans cannot begin to grasp on what or how somethings work. Things we cannot even fathom without trying to ask a question about the unknown, some of the time we can understand the phenomenon in our world of endless wonder and that brings us closer to a understanding of each other. But what happens to the things we cannot understand, do we discard them? Or destroy them so we can never truly understand them and therefore never have to? Or do we lock them away and throw away the key and have them "Outta sight, Outta mind"? Two words can describe the infinite world of possibilities that await us every day and the wonder that lasts almost an eternity. Two words: Warehouse 13. This place holds secrets, some secrets so powerful that they could change your whole perspective of everything in the universe. Also storing some of the most strangest objects you will ever see, Mystical Artifacts spanning all the way back to the time of the great and powerful leader, Alexander The Great in the kingdom of Macedonian, Greece. And what holds everything together is its wondrous crew. Starting with Mrs. Fredrick, not much is known about Mrs. Fredrick except she is the caretaker of Warehouse 13. Arthur Nielson, a senior agent with a passion for his job at the warehouse and would do anything for it. Myka Bering, a smart, beautiful woman with an amazing memory and a amazing eye for detail. Pete Lattimer, a smart, but sometimes foolish agent who has these premonitional vibes that can help them in the field. Claudia Donovan, a technological genius that's not only quick on her feet but also can be quite handy with a Tesla Gun. Steve Jinks, still mostly considered the "Newbie" Steve Jinks was brought into the Warehouse quite soon, collected by the gang for his nifty talent of telling when people are lying. This whole team along with The Regents, a group of people who decide whats best for the warehouse protect it. Its up to them to bring back artifacts that cause the world to have a really bad day, and store them here inside this endless wonder.

The Warehouse seemed quiet after the incident with Henry Morgan's Sword considering that Pete and Claudia had to re-shelf a whole aisle that had got knocked over and they were still down in the main storage area. Artie was enjoying some of this peace and quiet while drinking some milk and eating some freshly made cookies, taking apon himself that he was going to play the piano and watch the monitor at the same time. Trying to relax a bit while playing a bit of soothing tunes on the keys below his fingers. Notes were spot on, and he like it that way. Everything was fine until he heard a looping beep coming from the computer, he quickly turned to his very old computer and started to click some buttons, until it brought up a screen with hospital ER check-ins. Artie skimmed through it and looked for a possible artifact disturbance until he found it. Artie leaned back and took a sip from his milk while watching the screen.

"Ummm...Wisconsin" Artie muttered


	2. We got a PING!

Pete and Claudia were just finishing up on Ventis-87C, putting up some of the last artifacts that were knocked down by the extreme winds from earlier. Pete walked over to Claudia, where she was finishing up on the bottom aisle, with a old wicker basket.

"Hey Claud, did this basket go on the top or the bottom?" Said Pete confused

"Umm well that looks like Emily Dickenson's Basket, so i guess it goes on top" Said Claudia

Pete then agreed with Claudia and walked over to get one of the ladders on the other aisle, Pete walked up with the humongous ladder and slammed it against the shelves. Making his way to put the basket up top, Pete almost lost his balance which he caught himself just in time while knocking over another artifact. He extended his arm out just in time and caught the artifact without letting it fall.

"Pete, be careful, i dont think Artie would be in the best of moods if he had to rescue us again from another shelf fallen artifact" Said Claudia worried

"No problemo, senorita donovan, El-Peteo has everything under control" Said Pete putting a Sombrero on the shelf

"WE GOT A PING" Said Artie loudly over the nearby intercom, causing Pete to lose his balance and fall off the shelfs. He hit the hard concrete with a thud, causing Claudia to drop what she was doing and help Pete.

"Pete" Said Claudia concerned

"Ah no worries, Claud, I'm a man of steel, takes a lot to crack me" Said Pete getting to his feet

"Oh, says the same man who crys whenever Raymond St. James dies in a movie" Said Claudia

"Well...That was a lot to take" Said Pete

As they both laughed, they made their way though the stacks and back up to Artie's office, where Myka and Steve had just got back from New Jersey while a mission. Artie reached into his bag and pulled out four folders, setting them on his desk and waiting for the others to join.

"Everything down in the stacks okay" Said Artie to Pete and Claudia who were just walking in.

"Big Ten-Four there, Artie" Said Pete

"Good, well i got something else for you two to do, Pete, Myka your going to Wisconsin" Said Artie

"Wisconsin, Sweet, the cheese capital of the world, Heheh" Said Pete enthusiastically

"Why, what happened in Wisconsin" Asked Myka Artie pulled out a slip of paper from one of the folders and started to read aloud

"A man named Clinton Oliver, was omitted yesterday to the Fairfield Regional Hospital in Fairfield, Wisconsin because he had extreme lower back pain, a later examination shown that he had a growth on his lower back" Said Artie

"Doesn't seem like much, Artie" Said Pete

"Oh well hear the rest of it, the doctors of the regional hospital had come to conclude that after many tests the growth was a in fact, a timber wolf's tail" Said Artie

Almost all the gangs eyebrows rose up at the story, Pete looked even more excited than before.

"A Werewolf artifact, awesome man I've always wanted to see a werewolf before" Said Pete as his excitement overshadowed the other agents.

"Pete, i wouldn't want to get all that excited, I've dealt with many other werewolf artifacts before it's not pretty" Said Artie

"Wait i thought were wolf's didn't exist" Said Steve

"They don't do they, Artie?" Said Myka joining in with Steve

"Of course not don't be ridiculous" Said Artie

"Vampires, are a different story however" Said Artie quickly

"Whoa what" Said Pete

"What?" Said Myka along with Pete

"Nothing, Nothing, NOTHING, just go and figure out whats causing this guy to grow a tail" Said Artie shooing Pete and Myka out the door

"What about Vam-"Said Claudia before being interrupted

"Nothing, i got work for you two" Said Artie handing them two folders

"Three men, all buddies went to a bar yesterday night in a rural town in Canada and after a few drinks they collapsed and were taken to the local hospital, with all three cases of frostbite and hypothermia" Said Artie

"Alright Artie what could we be looking for another Donner jar?" Said Claudia

"No, these men only retained frostbite and hypothermia, its also noted that they cannot keep a steady temperature, that's all am getting at the moment, so just go" Said Artie

"Do what you do best, snoop around into other people's business" Said Artie

"Just like you and the-" Said Claudia before being interrupted by Artie's shushing

"GO, NOW" Yelled Artie

"Whats the secret, Claud" Whispered Steve walking out the door with Claudia

"I'll tell you on the flight" Whispered Claudia chuckling under her breath

"Man, this makes Univille look like Las Vegas" Said Pete

Pete and Myka finally arrived to Fairfield, Wisconsin by their car after a two-hour drive from the nearest airport.

"It does have that small town charm doesn't it?" Said Myka driving through main street.

"Ehh kinda reminds me of my hometown, but a lot smaller" Said Pete

"Wheres that hospital at, anyways Pete" Said Myka

"I'm guessing the only one that's not small enough to be a house" Said Pete sarcastically

Pete and Myka drove through the town reaching the Fairfield Regional Hospital in less than a few minutes thanks to Pete's "exact" directions. Pete and Myka found the room he was staying in, but before they entered they were greeted by one of the doctors.

"Hello, can i help you with anything" Said the Doctor

"Hello, Doctor.." Said Myka

"Abernathy" Said the Doctor

"Yes, We're from the secret service and we're here to investigate the sudden growth on one of your patients" Said Myka

"Well for one thing, I've never seen anything like it, never in all my years of doings surgeries for abnormal growths have i ever seen anything remotely like this" Said Dr. Abernathy

"His whole genetic structure has rearranged itself and metamorphosed an appendage out his backside" Said Dr. Abernathy

"So you've never seen anything like this, Doc?" Said Pete

"Well I've seen them in birth defects, when a baby has an appendage or extra skin, but his growth is genetically similar to that of a timber wolves and it simply appeared over night" Said Dr. Abernathy

"Dr. Abernathy, are you a local doctor here in Fairfield?" Said Myka Questioning him

"Why of course not, i came down here as fast as i could to examine a potential genetic anomaly that could prove that we share the same genetic code with wolves" Said Dr. Abernathy

"I don't think that would be a good idea, messin' with genetics, i mean look what happened to Jurassic Park" Said Pete

"Well, anyway could we see the patient?" Said Myka

"Yes, but he's a bit unstable from the growth affecting him, try not to startle him or his wife" Said Dr. Abernathy Dr. Abernathy gave Myka and Pete the ok to come inside after warning the patient that the agents were coming to ask him some questions. Pete and Myka walked in and saw the man, Clinton Oliver laying down sideways on the hospital bed next to his wife. His wife turned, smiled with tears glimpsing in her eyes, she wiped them away and greeted them.

"Hi, I'm agent Bering and this is agent Lattimer of the Secret Service, we came to ask you two a few questions about what actually happened, about the growth" Said Myka

"The tail?" Said Clinton's Wife

"Yes, Mrs. Oliver, the uhh...tail" Said Myka trying to make sure Clinton didn't hear

"I don't know it happened all of a sudden, one minute am working up at the court-house, next i get a call my husbands in the hospital, the most hardest thing to deal with was the tail" Said Mrs. Oliver

"I mean, how does this even happen?" Said Mrs. Oliver

"Dont worry Ma'mm we'll fix what ever is going on with your husband" Said Pete reassuring the woman.

"Oh, thank you" Said Mrs. Oliver

"We would like to ask you a few more questions if its ok with you" Asked Myka

"Go right ahead" Said Mrs. Oliver

"Has Clinton been in contact within the past few days, anything weird, unusual or out-of-place" Asked Myka

"Ummm, not that i can think of, the only thing he does during the weekend it go out with his buddies and hunt" Said Mrs. Oliver

"Has he ever carried a special object, a wolf skin belt, an old rifle of some sort" Said Pete

"No,no he never carries any of that stuff he uses a compound crossbow that's all" Said

"Ah the silent killer" Said Pete

"Do you think we could ask some questions for Mr. Clinton" Said Myka

"Umm, i really don't think he's ready, but, i do want him to get better, I guess so, for a couple of minutes then after that then you've gotta go, i'm sorry" Said Mrs. Clinton

"We understand completely, thank you" Said Myka Pete and Myka walked over to the patient, then Myka started to question Clinton about anything he might have got hold of that could be an artifact. Pete walked to the other side of the bed and saw the tail, it was grey, hairy and was wagging slowly.

"Hello, Mr. Oliver, i know this is a hard time for anyone to answer questions about your condition" Said Myka calmly

"Its-fine" Said Clinton with a short cough afterwards

"Well we'll be quick ok, Mr. Oliver" Said Myka

"When exactly did this start to feel this growth on your lower back" Asked Myka

"I started to feel like this after me and a couple of my friends played poker at the local pool hall, The Over-Under" Said Clinton in a raspy voice

"Heh what a name for a pool hall" Said Pete

"Was there anything that you touched by chance that felt odd to you in any way"

"No, no nothing-it was a pretty normal Friday night"Said Clinton in a raspy voice

"Do you deal in the high stakes poker or the just us guys" poker" Said Pete

"Just regular poker, we bet a few couple of bucks here and there but nothing over fifty dollars" Said Clinton in a raspy voice. Just before Myka could ask another question, she saw something she couldn't believe. Clinton's teeth were starting to grow slowly as he yelled in pain, Myka and Pete started to back up and watch Clinton agonized in pain while his wife and several other nurses rushed into the room and pushed Pete and Myka out into the hospital hall.

"Jesus, did you see that Myks, I don't think he's just growing a tail, he's changing" Said Pete a bit terrified

"Pete, Did you smell smoke just before he started to change" Said Myka

"Yeah i did Myka, you think it might be a residual effect of the artifact" Said Pete

"It might be, I think we need to find this artifact before he starts becoming a real werewolf" Said Myka with a concerning tone in her voice.

"Lets look up that weird pool hall" Said Pete

Pete and Myka left the Fairfield Regional Hospital at about noon to head downtown to the oddly named pool hall "The Over-Under". Pete and Myka got out of the car and took a quick skim over the front of the pool hall.

"Jeez, this place says just screams 'The artifacts right here Pete, quit searching and go home' Myks" Said Pete.

The front of the pool hall was filled with taxidermy bears that were in the attack position, while walking up to the pool hall, one of the bears were installed with the sound effect of a bear roaring. Which at the least scared Pete, which made him jump back and yell.

"YAHHHH, Gaah, I hate those things" Said Pete

"Why do you hate them" Said Myka laughing

"Almost every summer, i would spend a week in North Carolina with my uncle Larry when i was little, every thing was fine until he went into this phase where he would collect a BUNCH of stuffed taxidermy beavers and coyotes and anything else that had fur or feathers" Said Pete with a shiver

"He always put them everywhere Myka, even the guest room where i slept, ever try to sleep with a dead hawk staring you in the eyes?" Said Pete

With that story set in, Pete and Myka opened the door to the pool hall and walked into the main area. An old-fashioned jukebox sat in the corner of the main room playing old songs. The inside matched the outside of the pool hall, plenty of stuffed dead animals around the walls and filled with so much camouflage that it looked like the owner was growing a forest in the pool hall. Pete looked around the place and shriveled a bit while Myka snickered at him, while looking around the walls of the pool hall he noticed a picture on the wall.

"Hey Myka, come check this out, looks like our one tail wonder is no regular poker player" Said Pete pointing to the picture.

Pete pointed to a picture on the wall to a picture with Clinton Oliver surrounding a poker table which looked like it was sitting in a casino.

"He lied to us, Myks, he does play pro or at least trys too" Said Pete

"You think someone could have a grudge against him because of it?" Said Myka

"That or he's not ponying up the dough and someone thought they'd settle the debt by making him sleep in the dog house" Said Pete

Pete and Myka walked away from the revealing picture and searched around the main room for the owner, asking one of the customers there if they had seen him. One of the men pointed to a door that was labeled "No Smoking. Oxygen In Use". Pete knocked on the door and waited until a old man with a tethered old cowboys hat answered him.

"Hello, what can i do you for, young man" Said the old man

"Hi mister, you think we can talk to a.." Said Pete while looking down at the piece of paper from the folder.

"John Anderson" Said Pete

"Well, you're talkin' to him, sport" Said John

"What can i do for you folks" Said John The man in front of them look almost like an old cowboy rancher, the guy had a big bushy gray beard that covered most of his face. The man also had an oxygen tube leading from his nose to a tank barely hidden in the corner of his office.

"Yeah, we're with the secret service john and we were wondering about one of your regulars, Clinton Oliver" Said Pete

"Ahh, Clint!" Said John

"Good lad, bit of a hard case with money, heheh" Said John

"What do you mean, a hard case with money" Said Pete "Well, Clint uses his money as much as he plays poker" Said John

"I'm gonna assume that he plays a lot of poker" Said Myka

"A lot is an understatement missy, he comes in here almost twice a day with a couple of his buds, throwing his money around like he's gettin a lap dance" Said John

"The boy has been in and out of the pool hall for the past couple of weeks looking for people to play the high stakes stuff, I've banned all that high stakes stuff but the boy thinks he can come in here and i don't notice, he doesn't know i got cameras all over the place" Said John

"Have you seen Clinton, with any superstitious characters, some that would love to get their hands on him, due to an unsettled bet" Said Myka

"No not really, even though the boy bets high, i don't think he's had any trouble with anyone besides with me and his attempts to sneak into the pool hall" Said John

"Why do you ask, is he in trouble with the government?" Said John

"No, no, Mr. Anderson he's not in any trouble with the government" Said Myka

"He's currently in the hospital because of certain medical conditions" Said Myka

"Good" Said John

"You say that like its a good thing" Said Pete

"Well its a good thing if it keeps him outta my hair" Said John

"Okay, Mr. Anderson, if we need anything else from you" Said Myka before being interrupted

"Don't hesitate to call" Said John finishing up his sentence

Pete and Myka watched the man walk back inside his room in the main area and shut the door leaving them to sniff out a possible artifact. Myka reached into her pocket and grabbed two pairs of purple gloves and handed one to Pete, putting them on simultaneously, they popped out a couple of Anti-static bags and went to work on all the objects there. Even all the taxidermy animals. Throwing one by one into the bag hoping for a big spark to flash as they looked away from the bag. Nothing had shown up so far, Pete and Myka then declared that the place was danger free to the customers of the pool hall.

"Well Myks, I don't know about you, but am stumped" Said Pete

"I thought for sure that the artifact would be here, enough old stuff here to fill up the warehouse" Said Pete

"I thought so too Pete, lets call Artie and see if he's got anything" Said Myka

Pete pulled out a small handheld device called by the other agents "The Farnsworth" and opened it up. Then he handed the device over to his partner Myka and hit the small button on the down right hand corner. The device then began to buzz and flicker its circular old television like glass screen, up popped the ceiling of Artie office in black and white. Pete and Myka waited a few seconds before Artie popped his fuzzy head and eyebrows in front of the Farnsworth startling them both. Regaining their posture, the team begin to speak to the senior agent.

"Yes, what do you need guys" Said Artie through the Farnsworth

"Uhh, Artie do you think you can look up what artifact makes you turn into a wolf" Said Pete

"So, i take it his tail isn't the only problem" Said Artie

"Artie, whatever is affecting him is making him metamorphose into a Timber Wolf, could any artifact do that?" Said Myka

"Hmm, well there's more wolf type artifacts then you would think Myka, There is a ladle that was used by Lycaon, The king of Arcadia in Greek mythology which he used to serve the Greek god Zeus a dish containing his slaughtered and dismembered son to see whether Zeus was truly omniscient" Said Artie

"Eww" Said Myka

"Yeah, the guy was really demented to kill and feed his son to a god to try to find out if he really was a god" Said Artie

"Anyways, for this terrible act, Zeus turned Lycaon into a wolf for the rest of his life" Said Artie

"Do you think that could be the artifact, Artie" Asked Pete

" No, no, no that was collected in the 80s by Me and MacPherson, a man had used the artifact in Elkwood, Wisconsin by turning himself into a wolf like creature and terrorize a small town road, Bray road to be precise" Said Artie

"Whoa you are telling me that the Beast of Bray Road, was a guy with an artifact" Said Pete

"Of Course, what isn't caused by an artifact, Pete" Said Artie

"That ruined a lot of campfire stories" Said Pete

"The guy used it a lot round there to warn away hunters off of his land, because he was trying to get more 'In touch with nature' until he accidentally killed someone" Said Artie

"A lot of people in that town were ready to start a monster search mob, when we arrived" Said Artie

"Elkwood, Wisconsin that's close from here, Artie, you don't think its connected, do you?" Said Myka

"That could be an extreme possibility and then again couldn't" Said Artie

"Why do you say that Artie" Said Pete

"Well, the guy had the artifact on him so, I don't think he had any others" Said Artie

"But...The man was a part of a local club who extremely loved animals, even to the point of dressing up as them" Said Artie

"Okay, that's not weird at all" Said Myka

Artie's Farnsworth then began to start buzzing and lighting up indicating that he was getting an incoming call.

"Ah, just try to find out whats causing that sudden transformation and I'll try to find some more werewolf related artifacts" Said Artie before hitting the button on his Farnsworth The screen then flickered and then appeared a red-headed girl wearing a long sleeve shirt with a ripped black vest, along with her was Steven Jinks the "Human Lie Detector" as she put it looking at Artie through the Farnsworth.


	3. Frost Bitten for an Artifact

Claudia and Steve were standing on a side-walk just outside of rural town in Canada. The cold brisk air brushed against her cheek and made her shiver from it, Steve also stood beside her shivering.

"Artie, its cold" Said Claudia

"Well what do you think, its Canada" Artie said with a snicker

"You'd think it would be easy to find a coat down here, but no, there's not" Said Claudia

"Its like everyone here is born into the cold" Said Claudia

"I think you're over reacting" Said Artie

" South Dakota is warmer than this place Artie, I am not over reacting, i am the just amount of reacting there is needed to be" Said Claudia

"Well, just find the artifact and you get to come home, there, problem solved" Said Artie

"Artie, we don't even know where this pub is" Said Steve

"We tried asking for directions, but apparently some Canadians are not as friendly as they seem" Said Claudia

"It's at 1127 Westington Avenue, where's the debriefing folder i sent you guys?" Said Artie

"Well, it's still on the plane" Said Claudia

"Why!?" Barked Artie

"You see, me and jinxy were just getting off the plane and the lady pushing the cart accidentally picked it up during clean up" Said Claudia

"Yeah, we noticed it was gone when we were riding in the taxi trying to find the bar" Said Steve

"Okay, get out a pin and write this down" Said Artie sighing

Claudia and Steve wrote down his directions to the bar, it was called Liam's Tavern and Grill, the place was a well-known local bar a bit out-of-the-way into the country, but just not that far enough where the dynamic duo couldn't reach it without becoming a Popsicle in the process. Claudia and Steve hopped into a Rent a Car after renting it and reached the bar. The bar was the typical drinking establishment, typical beer, peanuts and the drunken idiot that disparately needs a ride home. The two opened the door and entered the warm tavern, walking up to the stand and starting to ask questions about the owner. Until a brawd man came out from one of the back rooms and pointed to Steve and Claudia to come to the back room to talk.

"Nice place ya got here" Said Claudia scoping the place out

"Hehe, My and my wife try to make it nice, just the best we can" He said with a smile on his red-cheeked face. The man in front of Claudia looked rugged and burly, like a coal miner Santa Claus, but with a cheeky grin that made his eyes squint and stretched his mouth cheek to cheek

"I bet, it feels like this bar is the warmest place in town" Said Claudia

"Well, matter of fact it is" He said with a chuckle

"Theres something we would like you to answer us" Said Steve

"Hmmm, let me guess, it's about them boys, huh?" Said the brawd man taking a seat

"If you're talking about the three guys that had gotten frostbite here at the bar, then yes it is" Said Steve

The large burly man, pulled out a chair from one of the tables nearby and sat down

"These things happen, a few out of towners think that they can handle the cold, huh" He Scoffed

"The Down draft will get ya, if anything, i imagine those poor boys got too much then they can handle, god bless em' " Said the Burly man looking down

"Didn't they get Frostbite from inside your bar, not from the Down Draft" Said Steve

"Well...Sometimes, it doesn't effect ya until you least expect it" Said the Man assuring Steve

"Not to poke around in your business, sir" Said Claudia

"But, what is the average temperature that you keep on in the bar?" Asked Claudia

"71 Degrees, as always" Said the man

"I don't think it could have been a down draft, mr-" Claudia said before being interrupted

"Cohan, Liam Cohan" said the man

"Ah, okay" Said Claudia

"We are to help, Mr. Cohan, if we seem forward, it is only because we are trying to figure out this problem" Said Steve

"Those boys that came in here, they had the look of death on them, even though it wasn't sudden, it happened and it happened here" Said Liam

"I can't shake the feeling that what happened to them is whats gonna happen to my customers" Said Liam

"Is that what yer supposed to be doing, figuring out what happened before it happens to someone else" Said Liam

"Yes" Said Claudia and Steve simultaneously

"Well, i do hope you do find the problem and fix it quick, because around these parts, my feelings are never wrong" Said Liam, worried

"We understand" Said Claudia

"Is that all or is there more, cuz I'd be happy to help you" Said Liam

"Just one, besides the boys, did anything seem unusual, anything at all" Said Claudia

"Hmm" Hummed Liam racking his brain

"Nothing really out of the norm, all the boys did was order drinks and cut up with the locals around here" Said Liam

"There was one thing, one of them kept mumbling about, ummm...Ski lessons i think" Said Liam

"Ski Lessons" Murmured Steve

"Yep, Drew runs the Ski resort up there on Bender Hill, try him up there, he'll know about who runs the ski lessons" Said Liam

"Gotcha, thanks for your help, Liam" Said Claudia

"No Problem missy, you and your friend their come get some drinks if ya get tiresome" Said Liam

"Thanks" Said Steve and Claudia as they left the Bar

"That was quick" Said Steve getting into the Rent a Car

"Yeah, its crazy jinxy" Said Claudia

"Whats crazy, you not driving the Prius" Said Steve

"No, not because im not driving the Prius, which you will have fun driving in the snow-covered road" Said Claudia sarcastically

"Ah, forgot about that" Said Steve looking ahead after pulling out

"Why do these guys just head to a bar that's a couple miles away when, there are three bars right here" Said Claudia showing Steve the GPS map

Right next to Bender Hill depicts three martini glass icons showing the bars, and showing Liam's Bar 10 miles out.

"If Liam said they were Out of Towners, then how did they end up here, you practically drive down a dirt road to get to here" Said Claudia

"Do you think someone lead them there" Said Steve

"Lets check out the Ski place Jinxy" Said Claudia

"By your command your majesty" Said Steve smirking to Claudia

Bender Hill Resort and Ski Lodge, printed on a large wooden sign in front of the driveway up the hill. As Claudia and Steve drove up the hill they noticed the lack of people on the hill, seemed empty, a few cars here and there. Just enough cars to assume that the place had a full staff, a lot of empty spots to pick from. Steve and Claudia parked the car and stepped out of the Rented Prius. The air smelt stale and chalky, but this did not match with the lodge, it actually looked decent. The duo entered the lodge and looked around, too much surprise to Claudia the place had pretty nice things. This pondered Claudia, why weren't there this many people around here, it looks brand new. Steve rung the bell hop bell a couple of times until a man emerged from the back room with a fake dopey grin on his face.

"Welcome to the Bender Hill Lodge and Ski Resort, how may i help you!" Said the Man with a loud burst. The man in front of them seemed like the type of guy you don't wanna be stuck in line for something. Annoying voice and really bad breath, almost made Claudia gag.

"Uhhh, we came to see Drew?.. ATF and Secret Service" Said Steve pulling out a badge

The expression on his face drained

"YOU'RE NOT HERE ABOUT THE RATS IN THE PIPES ARE YOU?" He said with a big worried look

"First off we're ATF and Secret Service not Health Inspectors and secondly, EW!" Said Claudia

"I'm Sorrree! It's just i thought that they do the same types of things" Said the man

Steve and Claudia just looked at each other, gave a quick smirk and back at the man

"Is, Drew here at all" Said Claudia with an exhausted look

The Man flipped back a few pages on the mildly cluttered front desk and found a buzzer

"Drew, Drew i need you on the front desk" Said the Man into the buzzer

Claudia and Steve waited until Drew came out from the outside brisk air in a giant coat, Drew walked behind the front desk with a cup of what looked like coffee in his hands casually drinking it, one sip at a time talking with the annoying man.

"Why is the Secret Service here, the presidents not in town is he" Said Drew turning lazily to Steve and Claudia

"No" Said Claudia

"Then what do you want?" Said Drew with a snap

"One sec" Said Claudia with an annoyed tone

"Did three men check into the Lodge here last night" Said Claudia handing Drew a picture of the three men, Tyler Evans, Anthony Yates and Dustin Maralow"

"Yeah, i seen them around here, they were pretty cool, except for that Dustin guy, a real douche, hitting on all the women here, disrupting the buffet" Said Drew sipping on his coffee

"We sent them away, a free ski trip down the mountain, we were hoping they would just leave after staying on the mountain for so long" Said Drew

"So, nothing unusual about them" Said Steve

"Nah, not really, just the rude guy around the buffet, besides that nothing" Said Drew

"He was really annoying, i mean REALLY annoying, he was everywhere a drunken mess that would not leave everyone alone, i mean how can someone BE that annoying, my goodness" Said The man at the front desk, Claudia and Steve met earlier

"O-K" Said Steve

"Where can we find the Ski instructor" Questioned Steve

"Ummm, Larry, i think is around back, that's where the tram is" Said Drew taking another sip

"Thanks, i think" Said Claudia

Steve and Claudia made their way through the lodge into the back, the place was practically empty just like the outside parking lot.

"Hard to think a nice place like this, gets not attention" Said Steve

"Yeah, besides the annoying employees, it's really not all bad" Said Claudia walking with Steve

"It might be the artifact, maybe this isn't the first time this has happened" Said Claudia

"Maybe" Said Steve

Steve and Claudia made their way into the back, navigating to through the maze like lodge into the backdoor, the Ski tram was just making its way into the ground when a guy jumped off the ski tram with a woman in hand.

"You see, it wasn't that bad, you just needed the-proper push" the man said with a smile

Steve and Claudia flagged down the man with the woman

"Excuse me, do know where we can find the ski instructor, we're Secret Service" Said Claudia throwing out the badge

"His name is Larry i think, sir" Said Steve

The Man stood there silent as he stared at the two Warehouse agents, then in an instant he started to run, pushing the woman out-of-the-way.

"Whoa, Whoa WHOA, FREEZE!" Said Steve pulling out his Tesla

The man started to run down the steep mountain pushing people out-of-the-way, while Claudia and Steve ran down after him Teslas in hand, charging and crackling. The man tripped falling down the mountain building up the snow behind him, the man looked back and forth watching for the agents. Step by step he made it down the mountain, as he looked back they were gone.

"Oh, thank god" Said the exhausted man

As soon as he said that, he saw a sudden leg strike his face, he fell to the ground with a hard thud. He looked up and saw the red-headed girl with her Tesla buzzing in her hand.

"NEVER TRY TO OUTRUN ME, AGAIN" Said Claudia breathing heavily from running

"CLAUDIA" Yelled Steve running down the mountain

"Come on Jinxy, you're pulling a Artie on me" Said Claudia sarcastically

"I've got the runner" Said Claudia

Steve and Claudia brought up the man to his feet and with Teslas still in hand

"Don't SHOOT ME!" Yelled the Man

"Look, i won't shoot you" Said Claudia putting away her Tesla

"Just tell me where the artifact is" Said Claudia

"Arti-what? What are you talking about lady" Said the Man nervously

"The thing your using to freeze people" Said Steve

"I'm not freezing people!" Said The Man puzzled

"Then why were you running from us, dude" Said Claudia

"I thought you guys were coming to arrest me for not paying my Taxes, i just don't wanna give up the extra money, the ladies like to get to know you better with more money, I DON'T WANNA GO TO JAIL" Yelled the man as he spilled his guts

"Really, guy, We're Secret Service i don't care if you didn't pay taxes, i just wanna know if you know anything about three guys that came here for Ski lessons or whatever" Said Claudia

The man froze there with a pale look on his face

"Larry, we need you to cooperate with us, the guys?" Said Steve

"Huh, oh-i uhhhh, could you be more specific" Said Larry

"Three guys, Tyler, Anthony and Dustin" Said Claudia

"Yes, the three came here from the lodge and wanted to go down the steep slope, on the other side of the mountain" Said Larry

"I was told to make sure they didn't, i had fought with the Dustin guy over that, almost called the police because of it" Said Larry

"Luckily they left the lodge afterwards, around 2 o'clock" Said Larry

"Did they leave with anyone" Asked Claudia

"No" Said Larry with his pale face coming back

Steve and Claudia left Larry to the side while they talked

"Whats the connection here, Steve" Said Claudia

"I don't know, sounds to me that the only ones effected are the three guys" said Steve

"The artifact must be with them" Said Steve

"Well, lets look at their possessions" Said Claudia

"That has to be it no one else has been effected by this unknown artifact" Said Steve

As Steve and Claudia were about to leave the area, Larry stood there with his clear pale face and started to mumble

"Ski...Ski...hike...2...o...clock...heading back" Mumbled Larry

Steve and Claudia turned back to Larry, as he started to shake and tremble

"Uhh, Larry...Are you ok there" Said Claudia

"I'm fine...taxes..payed...don't mind me, im heading back to the-" Said Larry before stumbling down on the snow

"Larry" Steve and Claudia yelled

Larry's face flushed red then instantly to white, Larry then shivered as frost formed around his mouth

"C-c-cold" Said Larry before he fainted

Steve and Claudia watched as Larry froze to death, almost instantly, Claudia and Steve called the paramedics but before they arrived he had already passed, frozen from the inside out.


	4. Artie to the Artic Section

Artie skimmed through his files at the Warehouse in the back room, lifting up old papyrus scrolls rummaging through the file system in the room. Artie flipped one page and found what he was looking for; he then ran out of the back room and grabbed his Farnsworth. Slamming down into his chair and flipped open his Farnsworth, he dialed it and up popped the image of Claudia and Steve at the Bender Hill Lodge.

"Did you get those artifacts Artie?" Asked Claudia

Claudia and Steve were standing inside the lodge as the coroner was leaving with Larry's body and the local Mounties were asking questions the employees and guests.

"Yes, I have. I've only got three artifacts that could cause internal hypothermia" Said Artie pulling the paper out, then reading from it. "Ok, there is ...Clarence Birdseye's Heat Pump, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Cross and... a Ration tin can from the, Grande Armée during the French Invasion of 1812" Said Artie reading aloud from the paper. "All of these artifacts can cause freezing internally."

"Are these in the Warehouse?" Asked Steve.

"All except for the Heat Pump, the rest are in the Warehouse, in the Arctic section" Artie replied. He thought for a second then asked, "How long did it take him to freeze?"

"Not long, almost instantly, Artie" Said Steve.

Artie pondered, racking his mind for possible artifacts and the danger that one of them was showing to his teammates. Artie put down the Farnsworth and turned to the computer to type onto the old keyboard. The Warehouse data stream picked up nothing as he checked the database for artifacts relating to what the Agents described. The computer started the search, but stalled at 0%. Artie stared at the number for a full ten seconds before it ticked up to 1%. "I've gotta update this system" Said Artie after sighing in disappointment.

Turning back to the Farnsworth, Artie said, "Alright, well it looks like this junk pile of a computer is really running slow, I'll have to get back to you on a good feasible artifact. I still have to help Pete and Myka."

"Are they still looking for the Werewolf artifact?" Asked Steve

"Unfortunately" Said Artie grabbing his Farnsworth off the stand. "I'm going to look in the arctic section and find the information conduit for the Arctic artifacts."

"Artie it's digital. You know, Technology, not your best field" Claudia inserted.

"Duly noted." Said Artie dryly, grabbing his parka from the closet. "But, the original conduit is still there, it has all the arctic artifacts cataloged, and not all digitally." He emphasized to his young apprentice. "Now, be careful, if the artifact drains heat quickly, then you won't have a fighting chance." Said Artie with worried creeping into his voice.

"Don't worry Artie. We'll be fine." said Claudia smiling.

"Ok, just watch out." Artie said, closing the Farnsworth.

Artie put on his wool parka and a pair of goggles from his pocket. The old agent walked out into the front of his office and looked out into the distance into the main storage area past the pyramid and the stacks. Merely a speck to Artie's squinting eyes, he saw how far the Arctic section was.

"That's a lot of...walking." Artie said, patting his stomach and looking into the stacks

Artie sighed and then turned his head to the chassis of the zip-line. Lifting an eyebrow, he took a deep breath and walked over, took the helmet from the vest that hung from the zip-line and unzipped the vest.

"I Hate using this thing" Said Artie as he put on the vest.

The supervisor zipped up the moderately heavy vest connecting him to the zip line harness, put on the helmet and adjusted his goggles.

"Here...we...GO!" Yelled Artie, pushing himself off the platform.

He started slow, gaining speed as the wire of the zip line wobbled and twitched above him. Artie went zipping past the stacks, passing the crates and artifacts, zooming pass a Moai statue and heading faster and faster towards the Arctic section.  
Just before reaching the Arctic Section, Artie looked down and saw the ground getting closer, and realized that was the best chance to break off the line. Artie grabbed the ripcord to the vest and pulled. He hit the ground with a thud and loud groan. Breathless, he unzipped the vest and laid down for just long enough to ignore the pain from hitting the cold concrete floor of the Warehouse.

"I've got to get Claudia to put extra padding on this vest." Artie grumbled.

Setting himself up and finally getting up on his feet, Artie dusted himself off and looked around to see if he disturbed any artifacts on the shelves. A mannequin in front of the shelves wearing 1960s era clothing turned its head and looked at Artie with its dead painted-on eyes.  
Artie looked straight at the mannequin and took a step back, a bit frightened but not surprised. Cautiously, he looked at the display card in front of the mannequin and silently read.

* * *

**Andy Warhol's Concept Dress Mannequin.**

**ORIGIN:**  
Used by Warhol to dress and test concept dresses that were used during his various fashion shows at "The Factory".

**PROPERTIES:**  
Putting on mannequins clothing allows owner to travel to any moment between 1962 and 1984 for the minimum of fifteen minutes.

* * *

"Ah, a Warhol artifact" Said Artie aloud. "Go on, nothing to see here!" He yelled to the artifact.

The mannequin promptly turned its head while it's body stood motionless in a fixed position.

Artie nodded his head and then turned his head towards the Arctic Section.

"Still a bit to go." Artie said to himself, dreading the still long walk.

Resigning himself to his duty, Artie picked up the helmet and the vest and started his small trek to the Arctic Section. After nearly an hour, Artie finally reached the Arctic Section. The whole area was closed off by an enormous dome that was made of old thick metal that looked like it was made in the 1940s, and probably was. Artie reached the door to the Arctic Section and put in his code on the small keyboard on the side of the giant door.

The massive doors started to hum and the gears started to grind as the doors slid open to the sides. A thick fog like mist of cold air rolled out and hit Artie's face, which made him shiver, even in the goggles and thick parka. Artie made sure that he put on some thick neutralizer gloves, then walked in. The Arctic section looked mostly like the aisles out in the main storage area, but frosted over with ice and hanging shards of frozen water like it had leaked from somewhere and then froze over.

Artie walked through the section, observing various artifacts sitting quietly on the shelves. The artifacts oddly looked like they were at a normal room temperature, untouched by Agents for years.

The aisles actually had an ending, which was hard to believe in the Warehouse. Where the aisles ended, the Arctic Section opened up to hold large artifacts, like an entire Whaling Station Camp. Artie passed the artifacts, and walked up to the station which was locked in a large fence with digital locks and display cards near the fence door. On top of the station, there were giant neutralizer spotlights that were set on all four corners of the camp. As he approached, he noticed that the station looked like it was just cut from the ground, not just the station, but the ground was cut in a perfect circle around the camp. Artie questioned how Agents secured this huge camp, and placed it in the Warehouse to look like it was just hauled into the Section with a fork lift.

After passing by the odd Whaling Station Camp, Artie passed many other large frozen artifacts, including the Cross that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described in his sonnet, "The Cross of Snow". He hurried through the fenced artifacts, trying to keep feeling in his fingers. Finally, he saw a light in front of him. As he walked towards the light, the outline of a building was made out. Artie had found the Arctic Section safe house and center, as the sign in front read "MAIN OFFICE".

The front door was a large metal door that had a retinal scanner attached to the side of it. Artie chipped off some of the ice and opened the box containing the scanner. He took off his goggles and then glasses under it, then opened one of his eyes as the scanner started scanning his retina.

The doors tumbler clicked and the door opened wide. Artie walked inside the warm office of the Arctic Section. The warm air brushed his face and he sighed with relief.

"Thank, God!" Said Artie pulling off his parka and goggles.

The main office looked nothing like the outside section. It looked like Artie's own office with the twist of a massive heat vent leading to the other rooms. Much to Artie's regret, the last time he was down here was in 1997 when an agent was killed by not wearing gloves and touching the wrong thing. Everything was the same as he remembered, just a bit of dust here and there. Not many people wanted to be assigned to the Arctic Section. Not just because it was cold, just that no one was ever down there. Artie knew the agent that worked the Artic Section for twenty years. He was never the same again, for 'Unknown' reasons.

Artie saw a long line of filing cabinets and walked over to them. He laid a hand down on one of the cabinets and let out a sigh. "Long time, no see." Artie mumbled, patting the Conduit.

The Information Conduit was twenty-two large filing cabinets filled with files for Artifacts that were seen, collected or missing in the Arctic Section. Even information for could-be artifacts was stored there.

Starting in the A's file cabinet, Artie pulled back the door and started to flip through the files. Just as he started to rummage through the first of the files, Artie's Farnsworth started to buzz with that familiar ringtone, that also buzzed into his head.  
"Ugh, is it annoy Artie day?" Artie asked rhetorically.

He put down the folder, walked over to his parka that laid on the chair and pulled his Farnsworth out of the parka's pocket. He popped it open and hit the button. The round screen flickered, and the image of Myka came up on the screen.

"Yes, Myka." Artie said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

Myka stood in the back of the Fairfield Regional Hospital waiting room, with the obviously absent Pete.

"Artie, this artifact is spreading." She said.

"Tell me about." Said Artie, rubbing his temple and sighing.

"Huh?" Asked Myka, confused.

"Claudia and Steve, are still working on the freezing artifact, and it too is spreading." He explained. "But, I'm searching for a lead on the artifact in the Arctic section."

"We have an Arctic section?" Asked Myka with a high eyebrow.

"There are things that even I don't know. It's all about the experience." He said. Switching rapidly, Artie ordered, "Now, tell me what is going on so far."

"Well, you know the person who we met before?"

"Clinton Oliver, yes." Said Artie.

"He isn't the only person effected." Myka reported.

"Really? Another person turning into a Timber Wolf?" Asked Artie incredulously.

"Not exactly…" Said Myka. She grabbed a folder that the doctors had given her and pulled out a picture. She put the Farnsworth by the picture allowing Artie to see the newest victim of the artifact.

"What the…" Artie barely believed the image that he saw through the Farnsworth.

Shown on the picture was a woman in her late forties on a hospital bed, covered in scales and looking to the side with yellow eyes.

"This...is Wilma Earnel. She passed out in the local grocery store and the witnesses said she just started growing scales in front of them." Myka put down the picture and looked back into the Farnsworth.

"Instantly?" Said Artie.

"Uhhh, Kinda." Myka replied. "Pete and I interviewed the eye witnesses at the grocery store and they said that it grew, not really instant." Said Myka.

"Is that Artie?" Pete's voice came from across the room. "Did you tell Artie about the lizard lady" Artie saw Pete join Myka in the screen on his Farnsworth.

"Yes, Pete." Myka said.

"It's crazy Artie, when I saw her, she looked like she was transforming!" He said. "Not like Clint, who is not doing so well."

"What happened to the first victim?" Asked Artie.

"He's really wild now. They had to transfer him, twice." Pete said. "They had to clear out the jail at the police station, chain him up, just to house him."

"Sounds more like a Metamorphoses artifact." Said Artie, thinking out loud. "Maybe… Franz Kafka." Artie murmured and looked to the side, lost in his thoughts.

"Who?" Said Pete.

"Franz Kafka wrote a really interesting story called, 'Die Verwandlung'" Myka informed Pete.

"And it is about...what? Wolves and lizards?" Pete asked doubtfully.

"The Metamorphoses'-" Said Myka with darted eyes at Pete. "It was about a traveling salesman who wakes up suddenly as a revolting insect."

"Exactly, the popular story could have in fact had an artifact to inspire him or was imbued with his ideas!" Said Artie.

"Well, what could we be looking for?" Pete asked.

"Hmm. That's a good question" Artie observed. "Franz was a known sexual deviant. It was even stated that he couldn't control himself at times...hmmm." Artie scratched his beard as me rambled. "Maybe a bed, something along that line…"

"During the story, Gregor Samsa transformed after waking from his bed. Could that... have something to do with it?" Myka asked.

"Maybe the bed springs! Heh heh." Said Pete jokingly.

Artie and Myka stood quietly as Pete chuckled in his usual laugh.

"Pete that's...Very possible." Said Artie.

"Really?" Pete said, surprised.

"Maybe it's the springs that caused the metamorphosis of Gregor." Myka said to Pete.

"Hold on Myka. Let me just take this in. I... got... one-Myks!" Pete cheered.

"Pete, don't get a big head!"

"It's just that I usually don't!" Pete said, soaking up his short lived glory.

"PETE!" Yelled Artie and Myka simultaneously.

"Sorry." Pete quickly pulled himself together.

Artie brought things back to business. "Someone could have easily installed one of Kafka's springs into their beds. Find the connection. Bag that artifact! Call if you need me- you know what? Just tag and bag! I've got a lot of business to do." Said Artie turning his head to the cabinets.

"Wait Artie!" Said Pete and Myka.

"What?" Said Artie with his finger on the button.

"Can you at least- say goodbye or a 'see you later'?" Pete asked.

Artie gave Pete and Myka an emotionless face as the Farnsworth flickered off.

"Goodbye!" Yelled Pete and Myka into the black display after he turned his end off.


	5. Going Shopping

"It wouldn't kill Artie to say goodbye." Pete when the Farnsworth predictably zeroed to black.

"Oh, I think it would Pete." Said Myka.

Myka closed the Farnsworth and put it back into her pocket as Pete flagged down a doctor passing by.

"Umm, is the lady that came here earlier- that was growing...um... scales..." Pete said awkwardly. He felt like he should have been trained on how to ask about trans-mutating people. "Is she... okay?"

"I'm sorry. I can't release that information." The Doctor said.

"We're Secret Service." Said Pete showing his badge.

"Abernathy, you'll have to talk to Doctor Abernathy." Replied the Doctor.

"Him again." Groaned Myka.

Pete and Myka watched as the Doctor lead them into a patents room. Leaving the waiting room, Pete and Myka went and looked for the Doctor throughout the Fairfield Regional Hospital. It took about an hour to find Abernathy. When they finally they found him talking to another doctor, he noticed them immediately. They waited until Abernathy stopped talking and approached the agents.

"Good evening, Agents." Said Abernathy.

"Hello, Doctor Abernathy." Myka replied.

"I guess you're here, about the newest patient." Dr. Abernathy said with a grin.

"You seem eager, Doctor." Myka squinted her eyes at him.

"Yes, yes I am-OH, not about her, so sorry for her. I just mean this opportunity." he said.

"Just the opportunity?" asked Pete.

"Yes!" said Abernathy with a tad vigorous tone. "I want to find out what happened to these people as much as you two do." He said, defending himself.

"Do forgive us for not believing you so quickly. We've had people do this before for personal gain." Myka explained.

"I wish to gain nothing but knowledge." The doctor insisted. "I've been studying both of our patients; patient zero and the new patient, for hours now. Whatever this is, a mutation or not, I have to know what this is and where it came from! I gave up a trip to London for this. I want to solve this!" Said Abernathy. A bit annoyed, he added, "Now are you going to accuse me of something or ask me a question?"

"Just, one." said Myka. "Has the growth effected their brain chemistry in any way?"

"No. They are a bit confused, but somewhat on normal brain patterns." The doctor responded, calming down.

"Thank you." said Myka.

"Well, if you will excuse me I have to check on Mr. Oliver." he said. Doctor Abernathy walked through Myka and Pete, pushing them to the side as he made his way into the elevator.

"It's not Kafka's bed springs" Said Myka suddenly.

"What? Are you sure?" Pete asked.

Myka said, "Positive."

"How do you know?" her partner asked.

Myka explained. "Kafka was also a scitszo. Wouldn't you think that his scitszopharnia would make its way into the springs?"

"Yeah, it would make sense. We've seen artifacts like that before." Said Pete.

"Let's go see about that grocery store." said Myka.

Pete followed his partner out. "Might as well, maybe we can grab something to eat there too!"

Pete and Myka left the Fairfield Regional Hospital with high hopes the artifact bearer would be there. They drove around the small town, until they reached the victim's grocery store. "Barney & Sons local Meat and Dairy" was the name of the place. Pete thought that it was not too shabby establishment with an artistic front door sign. Riddled with bright colors, it seemed to him like a lot of work went into it. Pete opened the door which activated the digital bell on top of the door frame. The two walked in with the smell of pepperoni hitting Pete in the face. He looked over the wall to the deli and saw so much cured ham, salami, summer sausage and pepperoni that Pete ogled.  
The store was designed in old fashioned suite that covered almost all the store, with bits and pieces that were updated to be modern. One would expect a place like it to be in a small town like Fairfield. However, the employers were nothing like the theme of the store, mainly teenagers working there.

Pete and Myka walked up to the front desk and rung the bell that was there, waiting for someone to come out from the back room.  
A young, tall, and gangly red-headed teen with baggy pants came out. The tag on the left side of his chest read:

Hello! How may I help you! I'm:  
**RONALD**

"How ya doin', Ronald" Pete read.

"My name is Ron. How can I help you today?" Ron said in monotone voice.

"Hello. We're from the Secret Service. We would like to-" Myka started.

"Would you like to try our Salisbury Steaks? Two for a dollar." Ron cut off Myka in his monotone voice.

"Umm, No, we would-" Said Myka.

"Would you like to try our frozen pizza deals?" Ron cut her off once again.

"No. Now listen-"

"Would you like to try our Mac and Cheese Bowls?"

"No."

"Would you-" Ron started again.

"NO!" yelled Myka, trying to regain her calmness.

Walking from out of the same room as Ron, a man dressed in a white shirt and apron came up and confronted Ron.

"I'm sorry folks. Ron here, is...new." He said with a chuckle. "I'm Barney, the owner."

The man in front of them looked nothing like you would expect a store owner to look like. Barney was tall with thick glasses and neatly combed over hair and a surprising pocket protector peaking from his apron.

"Hey hey, Fred! We goin' out for some bronto burgers!" Pete said in a very crude impression of Barney Rubble from "The Flintstones".

"Huh?" Barney said confused.

Pete dropped his impression. "Oh, come ON! Barney Rubble? The Flintstones!"

"Oh yes. The movie with John Goodman." said Barney dryly.

There was a pause as Pete glared at him. "I'm just gonna check out your wares." Pete said looking at him with a blank face.

"What's with him?" Barney asked Myka.

"It varies. Anything from living without football or pizza to someone not getting his jokes or references." Said Myka, her head cocked as she watched her partner leave.

Pete walked around the store, a bit annoyed about how the guy had no idea on what The Flintstones were. Somewhere between the soup and cereals aisles, he realized that 'nature was calling'. After asking where the bathroom was Pete got directions on how to get to the small back room. Finally, Pete made it to the restroom only to find out that someone was already using it.

"Hello! Emergency! I've got to go! Hurry up in there!" Pete yelled knocking on the door.

Pete heard the person inside scratch the door and move vigorously. It sounded like someone was hitting the walls. "Hey, you alright in there?"

There was a long pause. The door handle jingled a little. "I'm-*cough*-ok." a woman's voice said as the door opened.

"What the hell happened in there? It sounded like thrashing." Pete said.

The woman in front of Pete looked a bit like Claudia, except with brown hair, a nose ring and a tag that read: "MARY"

"There was a-*cough*-a animal in there, a hawk flew in the window up top-*cough*- you might wanna watch out." Mary said as she coughing up smoke.

Pete looked at the woman breathing out smoke and thought she was smoking something and that she probably saw something else and overacted.

"Right." Pete said as he watched the young woman walk away.

After he did his business, Myka met up with him. "Hey Myks, how did the interview go" Pete asked his partner.

"The manager was out this morning when she started changing." Myka reported.

"No leads. Great. Now its going to take us weeks to snag this one." Said Pete.

Pete and Myka strolled out of the grocery store and into the sidewalk going through the facts."What do we know?" Said Pete heading to their car.

Thinking, Myka leaned on the hood of their car and said, "Well, Clinton and Wilma have never met each other, but are both effected with whatever is making them change into animals. I've called all the motels in the area. Neither of them checked in any of the rooms, confirming the absence of the Kafka Springs." said Myka racking through her mind.

"No leads." said Pete slouched over the car.

"With an artifact there is always leads" Said Myka joining Pete by the car's door.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure something nutty will happen later on that will give us a clue." Pete said, tapping on the hood of the car. "Knock on wood."

"Pete. That was a car hood." said Myka with a giggle. "I don't think that counts."

"Eh, tomato, tomahto." said Pete joining the giggle.

A blood curdling scream got both agent's attention. "Uh, Pete- I think that counts." Myka yelled as they ran towards the source.  
The duo ran past the grocery store with peeking heads coming from the store's door and faces pressed up against the glass. Almost everyone else in the vicinity ran towards the scream. Out of a back alley, a scream echoed. A teen boy, looking very Gothic and out of place from the town, was sitting down in the alley. The teen was looking at his hands and screaming very loud with what looked like a blunt laying beside him. A shocked young woman was next to him and scooting away quickly.

"MY HANDS!" he yelled.

Pete and Myka ran into the alley, pushing the other people around so they could get a better look. "Pete...I think we found our lead." said Myka.

The teen looked up to Pete and Myka with a frightened expression on his face. Lifting up his hands, Pete and Myka found the reason for the frightened teen's scream.

Protruding from his hands were sharp claws ripping through the flesh of his finger tips. The human nails were pushed out of the way in an unpleasing manner. The look on his face looked like his screams did not come from pain but from the sheer shock of these sudden claws.


End file.
